Changes are just around the corner.

Celebrate with Case in Point

July 2015

Happy 10th birthday, Case in Point (CiP)! Ten years ago, College members accessed the very first case, “57-year-old female presents with orbital pressure." Since then, CiP has become one of the College’s most sought-after resources, allowing members to earn up to 65 CME and 65 SA-CME credits annually.Celebrate with us by reviewing the host of new and unusual cases CiP provides — free to all members.

HII at Brain Injury Awareness Day

July 2015

Members of the ACR’s Head Injury Institute (HII) attended the annual Brain Injury Awareness Day in Washington, D.C., on March 18. The Congressional Brain Injury Task Force, co-chaired by Rep. Bill Pascrell Jr. and Rep. Tom Rooney, sponsored the event, which brings various health care stakeholders, including patients and physicians, to the nation’s capital to meet with legislators to discuss the impact of brain injury.HII staff discussed the institute’s projects, goals, and other endeavors with members of Congress, booth visitors, and fellow exhibitors. Through this outreach, the HII and other advocates are working to help legislators understand the need for federally funded programs and research.

Communication Breakdown

July 2015

It’s an ongoing debate in the imaging community: Who should communicate what results and how detailed should these results be? Now patients are weighing in on the discussion. According to a study published in Radiology, a substantial gap exists between the information patients expect to receive and the items they are actually provided. Researchers from Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York City surveyed individuals who had recently undergone imaging to determine how well they understood the risks and benefits of their tests. The study also measured patients’ expectations of how that information should be communicated.While most participants were aware of the benefits of screening exams, few understood the potential radiation risks associated with the procedures. Additionally, the surveyed patients expressed a desire to know the rationale behind their tests and receive a more thorough explanation of the results. Patients also indicated that they currently research their questions through internet searches.

Trainee Workloads Increasing

July 2015

A study in the JACR® found that radiology resident and fellow workloads have been on a steady rise. The authors of the study analyzed Medicare Part B/Physician Summary Master Files (which aggregate billing claims submitted by physicians) from 1998 to 2010. During that period, trainee workload rose by 26 percent, with the sharpest increases in higher-complexity reads like CT and MRI. While increased workload carries some negative consequences, the authors of the study also believe reading higher numbers of cases can mean increased educational opportunities for trainees. “In combination with electronic medical records and speech recognition software, contemporary radiology trainees are almost certainly reviewing current and comparison images, obtaining pertinent clinical data, and generating radiology reports more efficiently than was historically possible. Time previously spent ‘digging through the jacket’ to find old films can now be spent actually reviewing additional studies. Given such technological enablers, we believe that increased volumes may actually be more of an educational benefit than a hindrance,” wrote the authors.

Making a Difference

One New York City radiologist bucks convention to establish a patient rounding program at her hospital.

July 2015

If something sounds too good to be true, it probably is. We understand instinctively that all that glitters is not gold. Roundtrip airfare to Paris for just $150? Sure. A subscription to Wired for the one-time low cost of ten cents per month? We start looking for the strings.

Prioritizing diversity isn't just a good ethical principle — it's good business sense.

Modernizing the Radiology Residency Curricula

Are we training tomorrow’s radiologists to succeed in yesterday’s health systems?

July 2015

The field of radiology is in a state of flux. Changes in the financial and political landscape, along with numerous technological innovations, threaten to transform how radiology has been traditionally practiced.